Crispy Baked Flour Tortilla Chips

Light, flaky, and crisp, seasoned with a variety of sweet and savory spices, Baked Flour Tortilla Chips are a satisfying low-guilt snack.

This is going to sound odd coming from someone who happily spends so much of her time preparing and writing about food, but the last thing I feel like doing this weekend is cooking!

As much as I enjoy all of the baking, meal planning, and prepping that come along with the holidays, I think it’s all finally caught up with me. When I went to pull a spatula out of its canister yesterday and the handle detached in my hand, I knew it was time for some quick-fix recipes.

I’m now on Day 2 of enjoying the wonderful world of Rotisserie Chicken (translate: Curried Chicken Salad for lunch, yes!), and one of my favorite minimal-effort snacks: Baked Flour Tortilla Chips.

This is probably the shortest post and the most informal recipe that I’ll ever share on Striped Spatula (it’s more of a guideline, really). But it’s a fun way to use up leftover tortillas that might be hanging out in your refrigerator.

When cut into strips or wedges and baked, flour tortillas take on a crisp, flaky, cracker-like texture.

For a savory snack, they’re delicious baked with a little olive oil and sea salt, or topped with just about any of your favorite herbs and spices. (Za’atar, Italian Herbs with Parmigianno Reggiano, and Hungarian Paprika with Garlic are some of my favorites, pictured in this post.)

For something sweet, the tortillas are also delicious brushed with butter and sprinkled with cinnamon-sugar.

As an alternative to flour tortillas, the baked chip concept also works well with wonton wrappers and, of course, pita wedges. (Baking times will vary by a few minutes depending on thickness.) Wontons develop a shatteringly-crisp texture when baked and are especially good with cinnamon-sugar.

For a gluten-free option, corn tortillas can also be used, although I find that some brands can be a little tougher than their flour counterparts when baked. It’s all a matter of preference and experimentation to find which combinations you and your family enjoy most.

Baked tortilla chips are a great, low-guilt snack for any day, but especially now as we’re hanging out in yoga pants and recovering from all the rich foods that we’ve indulged in over the past month. I like to serve the savory chips with a little hummus, alongside a bowl of soup, or crumbled onto a salad. (They’re also delicious with your favorite chili on Game Day.)

Cinnamon-sugar chips are great on their own (and, in my experience, tend to disappear as quickly as they’re made), but I’ve never turned down a scoop of vanilla frozen yogurt on the side. The flavor reminds me of the “Fried Ice Cream” dessert I always ordered as a child at a Mexican restaurant in town, with a few (hundred) less calories.

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Baked Flour Tortilla Chips

Light, flaky, and crisp, seasoned with a variety of sweet and savory spices, Baked Flour Tortilla Chips are a satisfying low-guilt snack.

Sweet Chip Ideas:

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Brush each side of a tortilla with about 1/2 teaspoon oil or melted butter. Sprinkle one or both sides of tortilla with seasoning of choice.* Using a sharp knife or pizza wheel, cut tortilla in half and then crosswise into 1-inch wide strips, or simply cut into 8-wedges, and place in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Bake until light golden brown and crisp (this takes about 12-15 minutes in my oven**), rotating pans halfway through if baking more than one at a time. Cool to room temperature. Baked chips keep well, stored in an airtight tin, for up to a week. (I find that the flavor and texture are actually best after a day or two.)

Recipe Notes

*The type of seasoning I'm using determines whether or not I season one or both sides of the tortillas. For milder flavors like sea salt and cinnamon-sugar, I'll sprinkle both sides. For more assertive flavors such as Za'atar or Italian Herbs, or any combination using grated cheese, I'll sprinkle only one side. There's really no wrong way to do this. Experiment and find what you and your family like best!

**Baking times will vary by oven and the brand of tortilla you use. I've had some ultra-thin tortillas take as little as 8 minutes, so keep a close eye on your first batch and gauge from there.

Have you made this recipe? Let me know by leaving a comment and rating the recipe below! Don’t forget to take a picture and tag @stripedspatula and #stripedspatula on Instagram for a chance to be featured in my newsletter!

Reader Interactions

Comments

Have you tried these with whole wheat tortillas? I have a ton of whole wheat tortillas at home and I don’t want to go out and buy different ones! If you have any tips let me know! Thanks for a great recipe.

Hi Chrissy, I haven’t tried these with whole wheat tortillas, but I’m sure the substitution could be easily made! From my experience using whole wheat tortillas in other recipes, you might want to start checking them a few minutes sooner. I’d test the first batch after about 6-8 minutes in the oven and judge from there. Just like the flour tortillas I used here, they should continue to crisp as they cool. It all depends on the thickness of the tortilla brand you’re using. I’d love to hear how they turn out!

Yum yum!! Leftover tortillas from the local Mexican restaurant. Sprayed canola oil on them, and sprinkled pumpkin pie spice. Came out awesome!! (Threw sugar on them at the end, when I realized I’d forgotten that). Made a second batch with bacon burger seasonings. Yum!!

Thanks for the recipe! Are you sure you’re supposed to bake them at 499 degrees? I baked my first batch at that temperature for only 6 mi utes and they were completely burnt. At 400 it seems like they only need to bake for around 4 minutes in my oven. I’m confused!

Hi Alyssa, I’ve been making them for years at 400 (standard, not convection) and they’ve come out as shown in the photos. As I mentioned in the recipe notes, baking times may vary by oven and the brand of tortillas you’ve used. Thinner brands of tortillas will require less time.